Your Guardian Angel
by DisneyFanatic2364
Summary: Roxanne Ritchi hasn't realized that she has had a guardian angel watching over her for years. When she is kidnapped, her mysterious protector is about to make himself known. AU
1. Saving the Girl

**I know, I know. _Another_ one. But after seeing _The Princess Bride_ for the first time in a while, this idea has been swimming in my head. You'll see what I'm talking about in a couple chapters. This first one is to explain some things.**

**Disclaimer: Do not own Megamind OR the future references to _The Princess Brid__e_.**

* * *

It was night in Metro City and all was peaceful, despite the fact that there was a blue alien with a giant head running for his life. He wore the orange jumpsuit of the Metro City Prison for the Criminally Gifted, where he had just fled from. On his back was a sack filled with all his belongings and under his arm was a large green fish in a bowl of water. He looked up at his master with big brown eyes and spoke:

"Sir, do you really think running away is the answer?"

"It's our only option, Minion," the teenage alien panted. "If the government ever gets their hands on us, we might be tortured for the rest of our short miserable lives!"

"But we were safe in the prison!"

"The warden can't keep them away for long. We have no other choice."

"But where will we go? What will we do?"

"I'm afraid I don't know, Minion. All that we can do now is to find a place to hide."

The fish didn't object any further as his master kept running through alleys, staying close to the shadows. After a few minutes, the boy's ears picked up something.

"What's in that backpack of yours, sweetie?" a man's voice sneered.

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," a young girl's voice stammered.

"Well, we won't be strangers for long," a second man laughed.

"Let's grab her!" yelled a third.

"No, please!" the girl cried.

The boy stopped in his tracks. "Do you hear that, Minion?"

Minion nodded. "We should get out of here, sir."

That would have been the alien's first instinct, but the girl's cries echoed throughout the alley. The struggle must have been around the corner. One foot urged him in that direction, while the other moved opposite. He should do something.

But he couldn't. Hadn't he already decided years ago that his destiny was to be a super villain? Super villains didn't go around saving girls. And yet, he couldn't just walk away while an innocent person was in trouble.

"Sir?" the fish asked, noticing his friend's hesitance.

The alien set the bowl behind a dumpster. "I'll be right back, Minion."

"Sir, don't!"

But there was no stopping him. He rounded the corner and froze at the sight. Two of the men were going through a backpack. The third had the girl squished against the wall. She was screaming and putting up quite a fight that the alien couldn't catch a glimpse of her face. He did notice, however, that she had long dark hair tied back in a ponytail and that she was roughly his age.

"You're a feisty one," the thug growled, pulling out a gun.

The alien narrowed his eyes.

"Hey! Pick on someone your own size!"

The men looked up and gasped. The girl turned her head in an attempt to see who it was.

"What the heck are you?" one of them wondered.

"What does it matter?" the one holding the girl shouted. "Someone get him!"

The boy had a slight wave of panic as the two thugs stomped towards him. Then he recollected himself and dug through his sack, withdrawing a strange-looking gun. He changed the setting to DEHYDRATE and blasted a blue ray at each of the criminals. Two glowing blue cubes fell to the ground in their place.

The third thug gaped in disbelief and then pointed his weapon at the alien.

"What the heck do you want?"

The boy growled in anger. "Let the girl go."

"I don't think so."

His finger was about to pull the trigger when it suddenly condensed into a blue cube. The robber was so shocked that he let go of the girl, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground.

"Okay, now you've made me mad!" the thug shouted.

Before the boy could blast him, the man tackled him, knocking the gun out of his hands. The alien fought back with great force. Despite his skinniness, he was a strong fighter.

Meanwhile, the girl stood up and her eyes widened at the fight. She finally got a look at her rescuer, realizing that he was not human. She would have been frightened of him, had he not been wrestling the man who could have killed her.

The boy and thug rolled on the ground, each trying to get on top of the other. The alien then spotted his weapon a short distance away and rolled them both towards it. It was on the tip of his fingers when the thug moved them the other way. The girl spotted his situation and took the opportunity to grab the gun herself.

It shook in her hands as she aimed it at the pair. She didn't see what it had done to the others, but she didn't see any dead bodies or blood about. When the thug had the alien pinned to the ground, she couldn't wait any longer and shot him into a cube. She dropped the gun in shock.

The alien sat up and looked at the girl with surprise and awe. She had just _saved_ him…after he had saved her. Did he really just do that?

Then he at last had the chance to get a good look at her. Her blue eyes sparkled in the dim light of the alley. He could not find a single flaw in her skin. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

She was also frozen in place. Not taking his gaze off her, he stood up and took a careful step towards her. The girl stepped back.

"Don't be afraid," he said softly.

She breathed and shook her head. "I'm not."

He didn't believe her, but he took a few steps closer. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head again. "Not much."

He sighed. "That's good."

She looked down at the blue cubes on the ground. "What did you do to them?"

"They're fine," the boy assured her. "A little water and they'll be back to normal."

She glanced back up at him. Even in the faint light, she could see the large shape of his head and the blueness of his skin. What intrigued her most were his luminous green eyes. They were so incredible, they couldn't possibly be real. This boy himself couldn't possibly be real.

"Who are you?" she inquired, cautiously backing up into the wall. "_What_ are you?"

"That is not important right now."

He then realized that she had _seen_ him. She might tell someone about this, possibly the police. He could go back to the prison for this, or worse! He couldn't leave a witness, but this girl had been bold enough to save his life. However, he couldn't have her telling anyone either.

He hastened forward and grabbed her shoulders, staring directly into her eyes.

"Now listen carefully," he said. "I was never here. This never happened. Understand?"

The girl stared at him for a moment, but then nodded. The boy sighed with relief and loosened his grip.

"Wait," she said before he could remove his hands. "Before you go, can I at least know your name?"

He hesitated, but then had a thought. "I'll only tell you my name if you tell me yours."

"You first, just so I know you won't run off."

He sighed. "It's Meg—"

He stopped. The girl had just saved his life. She deserved to know his real name, even if he was very much embarrassed by it.

"Wesley," he winced.

To his surprise, she did not laugh. "Thank you for saving my life, Wesley. My name is Roxanne Ritchi."

At the sound of her name, something fluttered inside his chest.

"Roxanne," he repeated. "What a beautiful name."

Before he could stop himself, he tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. For a moment, his hand rested on her cheek. _She is so lovely._ He expected her to shake it away, but she didn't. Roxanne closed her eyes as her head emptied of all thoughts.

"Sir!"

The cry brought the boy back to reality. _What am I DOING?_

He backed away from the girl as her eyes opened in confusion.

"Remember," he said, gathering his things and the blue cubes. "Don't tell anyone about this."

"I won't," she assured him.

"Oh, and thank you for taking care of that last thug."

"It was no problem."

He smiled at her before rushing into the alley. She watched him with admiration.

Minion had a lot of questions swimming through his head once his master scooped him up and ran even faster than before.

"Sir, what happened?" he asked.

The boy stopped in front of an old warehouse, but instead of answering the fish's question, raced inside. He set the fish and his bag down and then sat on the floor to catch his breath.

"They'll never find us here," he panted.

"Sir, please answer me!" Minion demanded. "What happened back there?"

He looked into the darkness, the girl's image coming back to his mind.

"I think," he stammered. "I think…I just met an angel from above."

* * *

**Yes, I gave Megamind a different name. Reviews are appreciated.**


	2. Allow Me

**See if you can catch the subtle _Princess Bride_ reference in here. There's also one from _The Ghost and Mr. Chicken._**

* * *

It had been a month since Roxanne had been rescued by the blue-skinned boy and she hadn't spoken a word of it to anyone. At first, she'd thought it had been a dream, until three days later when the faces of her attackers appeared on the front page news. Apparently, they were found in the cell of an escaped prisoner, having no idea how they even got there. Roxanne then knew that what she'd seen was real.

She tried to adjust to her normal life again, but she kept wondering who that blue-skinned boy named Wesley was. He must have been an alien of some sort, for his weapon and looks were definitely out of this world. What was also strange was that he had appeared to be wearing an orange prison jumpsuit. She'd think he was a criminal, if he hadn't saved her life.

However, she had other things to think about, like school. One morning, she found her arms filled with books, as she needed them for her research project in History. She had so many that she could hardly keep her balance. When she reached the classroom, the kid in front shut the door on her. Roxanne groaned and struggled to get a free hand, but that made her drop the books.

She felt like cursing as she knelt down to pick them up. Suddenly, a hand lay on top of hers and a voice said: "Allow me."

She looked up and came face to face with a boy whom she had never seen before. He had light brown hair and glasses covering his green eyes. After staring at her for a few seconds, he gathered her books, stood up and handed them to her. He then opened the door.

"Thanks," Roxanne said, walking through. "I don't believe we've met, Mister…"

"Bernard," the boy said quickly.

"Well, thanks again, Bernard."

* * *

It was the school science fair and Roxanne was carrying her model of the human heart. Unfortunately, she couldn't push the door to the gym from the outside. She sighed and was about to set her model down when Bernard opened the door for her.

"Allow me."

Roxanne couldn't help but smile and shake her head. This had been the fifth time in three weeks that she had encountered this boy and each time, he would either open a door for her or pick up whatever object she had dropped. "Allow me" was all he said.

"Thanks," was all Roxanne said in return.

While Roxanne presented her experiment on how caffeine affected one's heart rate, she couldn't help but notice Bernard's project. He had apparently redesigned his watch into what he called a disguise generator. He demonstrated by scanning one of the judges with his invention and then transformed into him by turning the dial. The only thing that remained the same was his eyes. Roxanne was impressed and so were the judges.

At the end of the fair, she was taking her project down when Bernard walked up to her, wearing his first place blue ribbon.

"Congratulations," she said. "That watch you have there is amazing! How come you're still wearing it?"

He hesitated. "I still need to know what time it is. Your experiment wasn't bad either. You should have gotten second at least!"

"Apparently, nothing beats baking soda volcanoes, except for disguise generators. Oh well, Honorable Mention is better than nothing."

"But your presentation was flawless!"

"But I didn't invent a cool watch like you."

As she folded up her display board and tucked her notes into her folder, she realized she was going to have to make two trips to the car. Then her burden was literally lifted as Bernard picked up the board.

"Allow me," he offered.

She giggled. "That should be your catch phrase."

* * *

A week later, Roxanne's arms were full once again, this time, with a model of the Roman Coliseum. The books in her backpack did not help her with the balance. She then grunted in annoyance once she reached her locker. That all faded away when Bernard showed up.

"Allow me?" he asked.

"Yes, please," Roxanne begged. "My combination is…"

He held up a hand. "No need."

He bent down towards the lock and pressed his ear against it. After a few twists and turns, the locker opened. Roxanne gaped in awe.

"What are you, a bank robber?"

"Nope," he smiled. "I'm just a good listener."

That caused her to giggle before realizing her hands were still full.

"Would you?" she asked, handing her model to him.

"Of course," he replied, taking it.

She thanked him as she organized the books in her locker.

"Why is it every time we meet, you have your hands full with something?" Bernard wondered aloud.

Roxanne shrugged. "School does that to you. Luckily, you're always there when I need help."

He smiled and then looked down shyly. "Roxanne, I was wondering if…"

The bell rang and Roxanne hastened to get the rest of her things.

"We better get to History class," she said, taking back her model. "We have to give our reports today."

She started down the hall, Bernard walking carefully beside her.

"Now what were you saying, Bernard?"

"Oh, I was wondering if you…that is, if you want to…allow me."

He opened the classroom door, but Roxanne could tell he was stalling for something as she walked through.

"Whatever it is, Bernard," she assured him, "you can tell me."

He was about to speak when the teacher came in, ordering everyone to get to their seats.

"Later, okay?" Roxanne whispered to Bernard.

"Yeah, sure," he nodded.

As he watched her go to her desk, he mentally kicked himself. _I was SO close!_

* * *

"So has anyone asked you to the dance yet?" Roxanne's best friend Casey asked in the lunch line later that day.

"A couple guys," Roxanne replied, grabbing a yogurt. "But they weren't really my type."

"Have anyone in mind?"

"Well…" Roxanne stammered as she paid the cashier.

"What about that Bernard guy? He's a little nerdy, but everyone says he has a crush on you."

"Really? He's nice…and really sweet. Maybe."

As she was saying this, she didn't notice the banana peel on the floor. Once she had stepped on it, it slid out from under her foot. Roxanne let out a scream and fell backwards. Her tray slipped out of her hands, sending the food flying. She was about to hit the floor when someone caught her.

She looked up and her eyes met Bernard's green ones. His were so filled with concern that Roxanne was starting to believe that Casey might have been right.

"Are you alright?" he inquired, standing her up.

She nodded and looked around the cafeteria. Everyone was staring at them, their mouths open in astonishment. Her lunch tray had landed on the floor behind Bernard.

Roxanne sighed. "I can't say the same for my lunch."

He looked down at her ruined meal. "Here, allow me to buy you some more food."

"You really don't have to."

"It's the least I can do."

"Least you can do? You just saved my life! I could've cracked my head open!"

"All the more reason to let me buy you lunch. You've been through a traumatic experience."

As he guided her into the line, Roxanne looked back at Casey. Her friend smiled excitedly and gave her a thumbs-up. In their silent language, that meant: _This one's a keeper!_

After Bernard bought lunch for Roxanne and himself, he asked if she would eat with him. Roxanne noticed Casey was sitting at a full table, but the raven-head gave her a nod, assuring her it was okay. She decided to give the two lovebirds some time alone.

While eating, the two talked about a lot of things: books, movies, and shared funny stories. Roxanne had never laughed so hard in her entire life.

"Bernard, I never knew you were so funny."

"And," the boy said shyly, "I've never heard you laugh like that before."

"Yeah, it's been a while. It feels pretty good."

She could feel his gaze on her as she took a bite of her salad.

"Roxanne," he said.

She looked up. "Yes?"

He bit his lip nervously. "You see, I was hoping…even though an average guy like me is not usually seen with an above average girl like you…yet, here we are, average and above average…eating lunch together…anyway, as average as I am…"

"Bernard," she interrupted with a smile. "Are you trying to say that you like me?"

He glanced down at his feet and nodded. He looked back up when Roxanne took his hand.

"That is so sweet," she said.

Bernard grinned, not believing his luck. "So…I was wondering if you would go to the dance with me."

Out of the corner of her eye, Roxanne saw Casey, who had apparently been eavesdropping. She was nodding her head insistently.

"Sure, I'd like that."

* * *

For the next two months, Roxanne and Bernard were inseparable. You would hardly see one without the other. In school, they would hardly spend a minute without holding hands, unless Bernard was carrying Roxanne's books. They would go out almost every day after school and every night on weekends. Casey had once teased her best friend about it.

"The only way to get you two away from each other is with a molecular separator."

"Very funny," Roxanne had said.

"I'm serious! You two are together so often it's almost like you're one person! I'm trying to decide whether to call you Bernanne or Roxard."

"You're just jealous that I'm spending more time with him than you."

"Nah, I'm happy for you. Have you two kissed yet?"

"No, he's a little hesitant about it."

"It has to happen sometime! If it doesn't happen before we graduate, I'm gonna invent a gun that will _make_ him kiss you!"

This had made Roxanne laugh. Casey was always dreaming of what she could do to revolutionize the field of weaponry. She had built her own dart gun for the science fair. Her obsession was probably from playing all those war computer games.

Bernard was everything Roxanne could hope for. He was smart, funny, sweet and quite the gentleman. He was always there to lend a hand and to catch her when she fell, literally. Although he might not have exactly looked the part, he was like her knight in shining armor.

Then it happened. One day, he didn't come to school. She thought he might be sick, but when she called his phone, he didn't answer. She decided it was nothing, until he didn't come to school for an entire week. Casey saw how worried her friend was and offered to sleepover so she wouldn't feel so lonely.

"It's probably nothing," Casey said, painting her friend's nails. "Maybe he just has a cold or he had to go on vacation. Have you checked his house?"

"I don't know where he lives," Roxanne admitted.

"What? You've been dating him for two months and you don't know where he _lives_?"

"I asked him once, but he told me his mother didn't like visitors. Casey, I'm so worried about him!"

"Don't worry. I'm sure he'll be coming through that door any minute now."

Sure enough, there was a knock at the back door.

"Wow, that was weird," Casey muttered.

Roxanne answered the door and smiled with joy when she saw Bernard. She flung her arms around them.

"Where have you been?" she exclaimed. "I was worried you had gotten into an accident or something!"

"Roxanne," Bernard said in a weak voice.

She pulled away and saw the sad expression on his face.

"What's wrong?"

He glanced behind her at Casey. The raven-head got the message and shut the door.

"Roxanne," he said again. "I…I have to tell you something."

"You can tell me anything," Roxanne assured him.

"You see, I…I…I have to leave."

Her eyes widened. "You're _moving_? But you just got here!"

"I know it's sudden, but I'm leaving tonight. I…I came here to say goodbye."

Roxanne could only do her best to hold back the tears. "Okay, so where are you going?"

He paused. "Somewhere."

"You will keep in touch, right? They say long-distance relationships never work, but…"

"I can't see you again, Roxanne."

She stared at him, unable to say anything.

"I'm sorry," he continued. "But it will be best for everyone…best for you, if you never see nor hear from me again. But before that happens, you must know that I…"

She waited. "What else could you possibly say that will hurt me more than you already have?"

He sighed and glanced in all directions. "Before I go, there's something I want to try. Will you allow me?"

Roxanne was so confused, but she nodded.

"Close your eyes," he said, "and don't open them until I tell you."

She did what he asked. There was a few seconds before she heard a strange sound, almost like a warp. She was tempted to open her eyes when a soft hand touched her cheek and a pair of lips locked with hers.

Shocks of electricity shivered down her spine. She had never been kissed before and had been praying that he would do it soon and this was more incredible than she had imagined. However, there was something off about it. His hand felt…different. His skin seemed softer and she could have sworn his fingers had gotten longer and thinner.

Once he had pulled away, Roxanne wanted to see what had changed, but she could not break her promise. She heard the warp again.

"You can look now."

She did and Bernard didn't look any different than he had before. In fact, he always looked the same. He always wore that same blue turtleneck brown blazer. She'd think it was the only outfit he had, but he always smelt clean. He couldn't have washed it every day.

He seemed even sadder now that he had kissed her. He wasn't sure what to say next, except: "Goodbye, Roxanne."

Bernard turned to leave, but Roxanne grabbed his arm. "You can't just kiss me and leave! Bernard, please! We can work this out! Don't you love me?"

He glanced back at her beautiful face, hurt and sadness staining his vibrant green eyes. "I think you know the answer. That is why I have to go. I don't want you hurt."

Tears fell down her cheeks like a waterfall. "It's a little late for that."

She sobbed and rushed inside and slammed the door. Casey asked what had happened, but Roxanne was too upset to answer. She then looked out the window at where Bernard had stood, but the love of her life was already gone forever.

* * *

**I know, I'm cruel here. Some of you might remember Casey from Romeo and Roxanne. She just popped up out of nowhere and her character is slightly different here. Review if you want to see what happens!**


	3. Ten Years Later

_**Spiderman**_** reference in here, also more characters from previous stories.**

* * *

Ten years passed and Roxanne became a reporter for KMCP 8 News. Her hair was now in a pixie cut. She had had the misfortune one day of being kidnapped by a lame villain called Gator Guy in an attempt to challenge Metro City's super hero, Metro Man. She had been acquainted with the super being before, but only for an interview. Despite them not really knowing each other, Metro Man came to her rescue.

Now there were rumors all over the city saying that they were a couple and it got on Roxanne's nerves. It didn't help that Metro Man had asked her out at least ten times after the rescue. The only advantage the situation gave to Roxanne was a raise and higher ratings for the station. If only the hero would get off her back.

She met up with Casey at the café for lunch. She had been seeing less of her friend lately due to both of them being busy with work. She didn't understand why Casey would be busy with her job as a mechanic.

"Hey, R.R., over here!" the raven-head called out from their table.

"C.C.," Roxanne sighed, sitting across from her, "you have no idea how glad I am to see you. I've been having one of the worst weeks of my life."

"Really? Because I heard about you and Golden Boy."

The reporter groaned. "C.C., not you too!"

Casey held up the paper reading: "Hero Dates Damsel in Distress!"

"Everyone's talking about it!"

Roxanne snatched the paper out of her hand. "I can't believe it! Not only do they call me a damsel in distress, but they label me as the hero's girlfriend! He saves you once and suddenly everyone thinks you're engaged! The press has no respect for people's private lives!"

"Look who's talking," her friend smirked.

"I know, I sound like a total hypocrite right now, but at least I don't make stuff up! I wouldn't date Metro Man if my life depended on it!"

"Why? He's not that bad, you know? I mean he's strong, brave, heroic, caring…not to mention good-looking. He also saved your life and the last time that happened…"

She stopped, knowing not to go there.

"There's a difference between saving people out of concern and saving people for show," Roxanne declared. "Okay, so he's helped the city a lot, but he's not really my type. I mean he's nice, but he can be such a braggart! You know what he asked me the other day? 'Roxanne, since I saved your life and all and I'm so amazing, wanna go out?' Okay, so I added the 'I'm so amazing' part, but that's what he sounded like!"

"Nobody's perfect," Casey pointed out. "Everyone has their flaws and you have to deal with them in spite of it. Take our friendship, for example. You're stubborn and I get on your nerves, yet we still hang out."

"What do you mean I'm stubborn?"

"You refuse to go out with someone else, because you're thinking about the Big B."

Roxanne looked down at the floor. Casey knew it hurt her to talk about Bernard, but she had to come out and say it.

"That was ten years ago. You have to forget about him."

"I could never forget about him," the reporter muttered.

"Let me rephrase that. You have to let go of the past and move on. I understand how you feel. It's hard to forget your first love, but there are other fish in the sea. Why not give Golden Boy a chance?"

"I don't know."

"If he hurts you in any way, I'll shoot him. But if you're the one to dump him, can I have him?"

That caused Roxanne to laugh. Casey always had a strange way of cheering her up.

* * *

After they had eaten lunch, the two women went to take a walk in the park.

"So how's your Uncle Bill?" Roxanne inquired Casey.

"He's fine," she replied. "He insists I keep busy. At the shop, I mean."

Since Casey's mom had died in childbirth and her father had gotten into an accident when she was a toddler, her uncle had raised her. Even now as an adult, he still had some authority over her.

The friends were interrupted when a man flew out of the sky. One could only guess it was Metro Man. He flashed a smile at Roxanne.

"Roxie, how are you doing today?"

Some of the park's visitors had gathered round to marvel at the hero. It made the reporter blush with embarrassment.

"I've had better days," she mumbled.

Metro Man then noticed Casey. "Who's your lovely friend here?"

"Oh, this is my best friend, Casey Capulet."

"Casey Capulet," the hero repeated, taking the woman's hand. "It's a pleasure. Mind if I call you C.C.?"

The raven-head giggled. "Sure, that's what most people call me."

"Anyway, Roxanne, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to have dinner Friday night."

Roxanne glanced sideways at Casey, who was energetically nodding her head towards the hero. Well, Casey's judgment had never been wrong before, so Roxanne found no reason not to trust her now.

"Okay," she replied.

"Great!" Metro Man exclaimed. "I'll pick you up at eight!"

Then he was gone in a flash. The crowd applauded before they went back to their previous activities. Roxanne noticed that her friend had an unusually big smile on her face.

"See?" she said, nudging her arm. "I told you he wasn't that bad. Remind me to add 'charming' and 'courteous' to my list."

"He called me Roxie," the reporter groaned. "You know how I hate that name."

"You don't mind when your sister calls you that."

"It's different from her. When guys say it, I just feel uncomfortable."

"Relax, R.R. Once he sees that it bothers you, he'll stop. He's a gentleman. He'll know."

Roxanne cocked an eyebrow but then smiled. "If you think he's so wonderful, Casey, why don't _you_ date him?"

Casey's jaw dropped. "What? I couldn't. A woman of _my_ profession? It's unthinkable!"

"You're a mechanic."

"Um, exactly! Super heroes never date mechanics, only reporters! I can't understand why though."

Roxanne checked her watch. "My lunch break is almost over. I better get back to the station. I'll catch you later."

As she was crossing the street, she didn't see the truck speeding her way. Casey, on the other hand, did and her eyes grew wide with panic.

"Roxanne, watch out!"

The reporter stopped and turned and stood frozen in place as the truck was only a few feet away. She attempted to move, but astonishment had glued her feet to the ground. She thought she was done for when a great force pushed her onto the sidewalk.

A small crowd had gathered to see if the reporter was alright. Casey rushed across the street and knelt down beside her friend.

"Geez, Roxanne!" she said, helping her stand up. "Don't _ever_ scare me like that again! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Roxanne assured her, looking around. "What happened?"

"What happened? You were almost run over! _That's_ what happened! If that guy hadn't pushed you out of the way…"

"_Who_ pushed me out of the way?"

"I didn't get a good look at him, but he was definitely not Metro Man. Seriously, Roxanne, why are you always getting into danger?"

The reporter didn't know the answer herself. This had been the fourth time in her life that a stranger had rescued her. Well, twice, it hadn't been a complete stranger. This time, she didn't see his face at all, but she could have sworn she'd seen a flash of bright green.

* * *

That night, the Metro City Bank had been robbed, right under everyone's noses. No alarms had been set off and Metro Man didn't know a thing about it. On the bright side, it gave Roxanne a story that morning.

"The bankers were shocked to find this morning that the vaults had been emptied of some cash," she said into the camera. "No alarms were triggered, no one was seen and there was no security footage of the robbery. They only accounts that had been robbed of seem to be those of Metro City's richest citizens, including the Scott family.

"The culprit has left no evidence to reveal his identity, except for a business card that reads: 'Compliments of Your Unfriendly Neighborhood Megamind.' More of these cards have appeared at various other robberies all across Michigan. Now it appears this Megamind has chosen Metro City as his next victim.

"But will our hero, Metro Man, capture this notorious criminal once and for all? Will his identity finally be revealed? We can only hope so. This is Roxanne Ritchi, reporting live from Megamind's latest robbery."

Before she could signal for Hal to cut, Metro Man jumped in front of the lens.

"Don't worry! Megamind's next stop will be the prison!"

Then he flashed a smile and Roxanne desperately made the slashing gesture across her throat.

"See you tonight, Roxie," Metro Man said with a wink before he flew off.

Hal looked displeased. "So are you two, like, really dating right now?"

Roxanne sighed. "Sure. Sort of."

"Too bad, because I think you can do, like, _way_ better than him."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean with your looks…oh, never mind!"

The reporter knew her short, pudgy cameraman had a crush on her, but like Metro Man, he also wasn't her type. She seemed to be saying that about every man lately. Maybe Casey was right. She was stubborn.

* * *

When Roxanne arrived at her apartment building that afternoon, she saw her landlord in the lobby and slapped herself in the forehead. She had forgotten it was Rent Day. Mr. Sanders turned and noticed her.

"Miss Ritchi," he started to say.

"I know, I know," Roxanne groaned. "Sorry, I'll write you a check right now."

"No, Miss Ritchi, I came to tell you that paying your rent won't be necessary."

She gaped at him in disbelief. "What?"

"Someone came by this morning and paid everything off."

"Who?"

"I don't know who. He told me he was a friend, but didn't give his name."

"What did he look like?"

"I didn't see his face. His hat and coat covered it up. Any idea of who he might be?"

She shook her head. "If you happen to see him again, tell him I said thank you."

The reporter casually walked to the elevator, but her head was still in confusion. Who would pay her rent? It couldn't have been Metro Man. Could it? She would ask him at dinner tonight.

* * *

"So how did it go?" Casey asked over the phone the next day.

"Terrible," Roxanne grumbled. "He wouldn't stop talking about himself! All night, it was 'I did this,' 'I did that,' and 'I saved a million people in two seconds!' Ugh, you should have heard him!"

"So he's a little proud. So what? You know what fame does to people. You can't blame him for it."

"But you know what's even weirder? Yesterday, my landlord told me that someone had paid my rent."

"Whoa, say that again?"

"Someone paid my rent, and my landlord has no idea who! You know what else? I found out this morning that someone had paid my television bill, my overdue phone bill, my dry-cleaning bill and all my other expenses!"

"Wow, that's freaky. You think it might be Metro Man?"

"No, I asked him last night, but he had no clue what I was talking about."

"It seems to me like you've got a guardian angel looking out for you."

"Guardian angel? More like a mysterious benefactor."

"Maybe I, err, my uncle can find out who he is."

"Your uncle sells insurance."

"Um, yeah, so he knows all about mysterious benefactors and such. Trust me, he'll find him. By the way, I saw your report yesterday on the bank robbery. Why would Megamind suddenly come to a city with a super hero?"

"I'm not sure. Honestly, I've been thinking of doing a little digging on Megamind myself. How can someone rob so many banks without leaving a clue but his calling card?"

"It's like that Pink Panther movie. Maybe it's not really him."

"I think I'll make inquiries in the other cities and see if anyone knows anything. It would make a good report."

"Hey, didn't Megamind hit Lansing too? Maybe Rachel knows something. Even if she doesn't, it gives you an excuse to visit your sister."

"Hmm, I might just do that."

* * *

Sunday was Roxanne's day off, so she chose that day to make her road trip. She didn't find out much in the other cities, just that no one has seen Megamind and that no evidence was found at the crime scenes, save the cards. Unfortunately, none of them had fingerprints on them. The crook had apparently broken into a few houses as well, but only those of rich people. Nothing important was left there either.

Tired and exhausted, Roxanne saved Lansing for last, skipping the police station and going straight to Rachel's apartment. Her sister was happy to see her.

"What do I know about Megamind?" she said, sipping her tea. "Nothing really, just that he robbed the banks and no one has any idea who he is. Luckily, none of _my_ money was stolen."

Roxanne sighed in disappointment that she had struck out again.

"However," Rachel continued, "I _did_ see something on the night the Central Bank was robbed about a month ago."

The reporter leaned forward with intrigue. "What?"

"Well, I was just walking home from my late night shift when a guy pointed a gun at me and demanded that I give him my purse. Oh, I gave it to him…right in the face! I ran as fast as I could, but he caught up with me and pressed me against a wall! I thought I was a goner, until something incredible happened!

"Another man all dressed in black leapt out of the shadows and beat the thug to oblivion! I didn't see his face, because he wore a mask, but I noticed he was very skinny, which is why I was surprised that he could fight so well. He also had the brightest green eyes I had ever seen!"

Roxanne choked on her tea. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

Rachel glanced down hesitantly. "You see, I didn't want to worry you."

"Rach, you were almost mugged!"

Of course, she didn't tell anyone about her incident, because she had made a promise.

"You see, Roxie," her sister said with a gulp. "After my rescuer had knocked my attacker cold, he looked up at me with those eyes and froze in place. And…he said your name."

Roxanne's eyes widened. "He what?"

"He said, 'Roxanne?' And then I shook my head and said, 'No, Rachel.' Then he appeared disappointed, but he replied, 'Yes, of course.' And before he left, he said, 'Give my regards to your sister.' You know something else? I'm not the only one in this city who's been rescued by this guy."

She let this sink in for a moment and then tried to act calm. "You think this vigilante might have something to do with the robberies?"

"Either he's after the thief or he committed the robberies himself or he just happened to be out there the night of the robbery. Roxie, I didn't tell you about him because he _knows_ you."

"I'm on the news. Of course, he knows me."

"But he didn't say 'Roxanne Ritchi' or 'Miss Ritchi,' just 'Roxanne.' Plus, even though I look like you, my hair is longer and yours hasn't been as long since college. Trust me, he knows you _personally_."

* * *

It was late at night during Roxanne's journey home. The fastest route back to Metro City involved driving through some thick, dark woods. She had called Casey, giving her promised update on her findings, though chose to leave out the fact that the possible culprit had named her.

She was about halfway through the forest when she saw a truck on the other side of the road. The hood was up and three men were looking at the engine. One of them was huge, at least seven feet tall. One was short, about five feet. The third was of normal height with dark hair. All of them were wearing dark jackets. Roxanne pulled to a stop and rolled down the window.

"Hey," she called out to the men, "do you guys need any help?"

The short one turned and gave her a toothy smile as he walked toward her. "You know where we can find a tow truck?"

"Sure, in the nearest town about ten miles away. You won't find many people out here at this time of night."

"Good."

Then he brought out a gun. "Get out of the car."

Roxanne was so stunned that she couldn't move.

"Get out!"

She raised her hands in surrender and stepped out.

"Carl," the midget said to the giant. "Knock her out."

Roxanne was prepared to scream for help when Carl knocked her out cold with a pinch of her neck.

* * *

**Confused? Follow and Review!**


	4. The Man in Black

**This chapter is VERY _Princess Bride_, with some creativity of my own.**

* * *

When Roxanne gained consciousness, she found herself in the back of a truck, her wrists and ankles tied. She then remembered what had happened earlier and saw the three men in the front seats. The medium-sized one was at the wheel. He kept glancing at the side mirror.

"What are you doing, Pedro?" the midget asked.

"I thought I heard something," Pedro said in a Spanish accent. "I'm checking to see that no one is following us."

"You're imagining things."

"Why are we doing this again, Vic?" the big one questioned.

The midget, Vic, groaned in annoyance. "Carl, how many times do we have to go through this?"

They apparently hadn't noticed that she was awake yet, so Roxanne closed her eyes and feigned sleep. This would give her the opportunity to know what was going on.

"Once Metro Man sees Megamind's calling card in Miss Ritchi's car," Vic continued, "he'll think _he_ abducted her. When the hero finds his precious girlfriend dead up at the old shack, he'll go into a murderous rage against Megamind!"

Roxanne lost all knowledge of breathing.

"You never said anything about killing," Carl said.

"What did you expect?" Vic exclaimed. "We've killed people before!"

"But this girl hasn't done anything wrong."

"I agree," said Pedro. "It wouldn't be right to kill an innocent girl."

"You're both such saps!" the midget shouted. "Fine! If it makes you feel better, _I'll_ kill her! Maybe afterwards, I'll hire some other goons!"

While the three had been talking, Roxanne had been working on untying her binds. She started with her hands and then her ankles. When her kidnappers weren't paying attention, she crept toward the back and opened the door.

The thugs turned at the sound of the latch and saw their captive jump out of the vehicle. Pedro's foot slammed on the brakes.

"Go get her, you idiots!" Vic commanded.

Roxanne ran through the trees, not daring to scream for fear of being caught. She had never been in these woods before and had no idea where to go. She froze in place when a bullet shot a tree only an inch from her head. She turned to face Pedro, standing with his gun a few feet away.

"I promise you, Senorita," he said. "Next time, I will not miss."

She took his word for it. She knew he was leading her to her death, but if she tried to get away, she would still die. Head down in defeat, she walked slowly over to him. As he escorted her back to the truck, he whispered in her ear.

"You live in Metro City, right?"

Roxanne nodded, but remained silent.

"Do you know a man by the name of Donovan?"

She stopped. "Casey's uncle?"

"Hey, we're losing time here!" Vic called from the truck.

As she was tied up again, Roxanne noticed a burning look in the Latino's eyes.

"Carl," the midget ordered, "you stay back with the girl and make sure she doesn't escape again."

"You won't get away with this," Roxanne declared. "Metro Man will find me and put all three of you thugs in jail!"

Vic laughed. "I hardly think you're in a position to be mouthing off, Miss Ritchi!"

The truck continued down the road and Roxanne was in the back again, this time, with the big guy. His height could have easily scared anyone, but his face was boyish and his eyes seemed rather more sad than cruel. He looked over at Roxanne.

"He could have killed you, you know?" he said to her in a low voice. "Pedro could kill anyone with one shot."

"Why didn't he?" the reporter whispered.

"He had a daughter. She'd be about your age, he said. He'd never shoot an innocent girl, ever since…"

"Hey!" Vic shouted. "No talking with the prisoner!"

"Excuse me!" Roxanne exclaimed with a smirk. "Didn't your mother tell you it's rude to interrupt other people's conversations?"

He groaned. "Shut her up, will you? I can't stand that sassy mouth of hers!"

Carl obeyed and tied a gag around her mouth.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I really am."

With that, Roxanne had second thoughts about the giant. He didn't seem as bad as his boss. The Latino gunman didn't sound as bad either. It made her wonder why they were working for this midget.

A few minutes later, the truck came to a stop.

"The shack is up that hill," Vic said. "We'll walk from here."

Carl was as strong as he was tall, for he slung Roxanne over his shoulder with ease. She didn't bother struggling anymore, for she had nowhere to go in these woods. She could only pray that Metro Man would notice her gone and find her before she was dead.

As they were hiking up the hill, Pedro turned at the sound of an engine and then stopped in his tracks.

"Hey, Pedro!" Vic called. "There are snails in these woods moving faster than you!"

Pedro looked back at him. "Are you sure no one's following us?"

"Of course! Metro Man doesn't know what we've done yet and no one else could have gotten here so fast!" He paused. "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing. I just happened to look behind me and something's there."

"What?"

The midget walked back to Pedro to see where he was looking. Roxanne squinted in the dark and saw a shadow move behind a tree.

"It's probably just some dumb animal," Vic suggested.

"It looked like a person to me," said Pedro.

Roxanne tried to scream through her gag, in hopes that whoever was out there might hear she was in distress. Vic ordered her quiet and Carl covered her mouth with his large hairy hand.

"Alright," their boss said to Pedro. "You go see what it is. If it's a person, take care of him. We can't have any witnesses. Catch up with us later."

Vic started up the hill, but Carl stayed and put a hand on Pedro's shoulder.

"Be careful," he said. "You don't know who's out there."

Pedro shrugged. "Don't worry about me. He'll be dead before he even knows I'm there."

"I'm waiting!" Vic called and Carl left to follow him.

Pedro got out his gun and cautiously approached the tree where he had seen the figure. When he got there, however, the shadow was gone. Then he heard a rustling in the trees and shot in the branches above. All that came out was a squirrel.

He sighed, relieved that it was nothing, until he heard a low laugh from behind him. He turned around and aimed his gun, but nothing was there.

"Good shot," a sarcastic voice said. "You almost had that squirrel."

He slowly turned round, as he couldn't tell where the voice was coming from.

"Who are you?" he shouted. "Show yourself!"

The voice laughed again. "My name is of no concern to you, but I believe you have taken something that doesn't belong to you."

"Why are you following us? What is it you want, coward?"

"I want to know what your plans are for that girl."

"What does it matter? Come out and fight like a man!"

"You think I'm that stupid? I know the minute I come out you'll shoot me! Not that you would kill me, but I'm sure I'd get some injury."

"I'll have you know that I've been working with guns for twenty-five years and I am not known to miss!"

"You mean to tell me you've done nothing but work on your gun aim?"

"No! I'm also a retired physician and inventor! I just work with Vic here to pay the bills."

"Okay, say you _do_ have good aim. I doubt it's as good as mine."

"Is that a challenge? I'll gladly accept it!"

"Ah, you're speaking my language!"

The figure climbed down from a tree. The man was dressed in black and all that could be seen of his face were his green eyes shining through the slit in his mask. The man in black took out a glowing blue gun and waved it proudly.

"What kind of a weapon is that?" Pedro marveled.

"It's something I invented myself," the stranger declared.

"May I see it?"

He hesitated, but handed it to him anyway. "No tricks, now."

Pedro examined the weapon with interest. There was writing on it, but he couldn't read it in the dim light.

"What incredible workmanship!" he exclaimed, handing it back to the stranger. "I used to design weapons for the government, before I was betrayed by one I dared call brother. Now I have no choice but to live the life of a fugitive."

"Yeah, yeah," the man in black said, waving him off. "I'm sure it's a sad story that might give me second thought on killing you, but let's get on with our challenge, shall we?"

"Yes, right."

"By the way, where are you from? Mexico? Argentina?"

"Bolivia."

"Alright, this is how it works. We walk ten paces, and then we fire."

The two men stood back to back, holding their guns ready.

"You seem like a reasonable man," Pedro noted. "I hate to kill you."

"_You_ seem like a reasonable man," the stranger smirked. "I hate to disappoint you. Now, start!"

Together, they counted to ten. With each step, the two knew that one of them wasn't going to make it out of this. After the tenth step, the men turned around and fired.

* * *

**MWAHAHAHAHAHA!**


	5. Three Down

**Okay, yeah. I couldn't resist all this.**

* * *

Pedro was shocked to see a blue beam shoot out of his opponent's gun. Next thing he knew, his weapon had vanished out of his hand. He looked at the man in black, apparently alive.

"How did…?" he stammered. "How are you alive? That shot should have hit you square in the heart!"

His opponent laughed and started walking toward him. "In my line of work, one must be careful. That's why I wear an outfit made of bulletproof material."

"You…you tricked me! And what have you done with my gun?"

"Did I mention that this gun can dehydrate objects as well as destroy them?"

The Bolivian was horrified as he backed up into a tree. His opponent had him at point-blank.

"Now," he said, "you are going to answer a few questions. Where are your friends taking Miss Ritchi?"

"Up the hill," Pedro stuttered, pointing. "To the shack."

"What are they going to do with her?"

"They intend to murder her and put the blame on Megamind!"

The man in black seemed worried. Then he glared at him harder.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right now!"

"Please!" Pedro begged. "If you want the girl alive, you must hurry! I never wanted to kill her! Vic didn't say anything about it! I would never kill an innocent girl!"

"Why should I believe you?"

"I had a daughter. She would be Senorita Ritchi's age now, had she not been taken from me."

His captor lowered his gun a little. "Your daughter was taken from you?"

"I have spent the last twenty-five years trying to find the devil who took her! No parent should ever be separated from their child!"

The man in black said nothing.

"Go ahead," the Latino urged. "Make it quick!"

He shook his head. "That would be a waste. However, I can't have you following me either."

Then he pulled the trigger and condensed the assassin into a blue cube.

* * *

"Slow down, will you?" Vic panted. "My legs can't keep up!"

Carl sighed and waited for his boss.

"You'd think _I'd _be giving orders," he whispered to Roxanne. "But no, Vic has the bigger head for it."

The captive couldn't help but giggle. Vic finally caught up and took a moment to rest. Then he noticed a figure moving through the woods.

"Great," he breathed. "Pedro's coming back."

Carl squinted in the darkness. "He looks too skinny to be Pedro."

The midget looked again. "Who the heck is that? He must have killed Pedro!" Carl hung his head. "He's moving pretty fast. Carl, untie her feet!"

He set the damsel down and ripped the ropes on her ankles apart. Vic grabbed her wrists and urged her to walk.

"Take care of the stranger!" he ordered Carl.

"How?"

"I don't care how! Strangle him! Smother him! Throw a rock at him! Use your imagination! Catch up with us later!"

Meanwhile, the mysterious stranger had been following the footprints of the two other abductors. As the Bolivian had said, they were headed uphill. The man stopped when he heard a twig snap. He cautiously brought out his gun and made sure it was set to dehydrate.

Then a shout came and he spun around just as Carl fell on top of him, knocking the weapon out of his hands. He was about to crush him when the skinny man slid out of his grasp like butter.

"You're quick," his attacker complimented.

"Do you really think that's fair," the man in black complained, "picking on a skinny little man like me? Why not fight someone your own size?"

"I apologize," Carl said, advancing toward him. "I'm only following orders. If I don't, Vic won't pay me. It's not fair if you have a weapon and I don't."

"I see. So we'll fight each other the old-fashioned way, eh?"

"It's the way God intended."

He swiped his fist at him, but the man in black dodged it.

"Why do you wear a mask?"

"Why not come and find out?"

He avoided another blow by climbing up a tree like an ape. Carl looked up in amazement.

"What, can't you climb?" the stranger taunted from a high branch.

Getting angry, the giant pounded the tree with all his might. His target hung on for dear life.

"Whoa, whoa!" he cried. "Can't we call a truce? A time out, maybe?"

"How…" Carl said between punches, "can…you…hold on like that?"

"You think growing up in prison has taught me nothing? This isn't the first fight I've been in!"

He screamed as a powerful jolt made him lose balance. Now he was dangling by the fingers.

"Why don't we make this one a draw and forget all about it?"

Carl didn't answer, but his punching was getting slower and weaker. He hadn't had a good work out for quite a while that he wasn't sure how long he could keep this up. The man in black climbed back onto the branch and watched.

"What's the matter, Hercules?" he teased. "Has your Achilles heel taken effect?"

"People…" Carl panted, pounding on the trunk halfheartedly, "called me…the strongest…in the world…next to…Metro Man."

"Yes, at least you earned your strength rather than just being born with it. I do a little working out myself, but before you pass out, please understand that you were in no doubt, a worthy opponent."

"Thank…you."

Then the giant was out like a light. The man in black dropped down and checked his pulse. He was alive, but he could wake up soon. So after picking up his gun, he dehydrated Carl and placed him in his pocket with his friend. He continued uphill.

Two down and three to go, and this one would be the most challenging yet.

* * *

The Bolivian hadn't lied. There was a shack at the top of the hill and with the light on. The man in black crept up to it, hoping he wasn't too late. As he slowly opened the door, he heard the midget's voice.

"I thought you'd be here."

He swept the door aside. Roxanne now wore a blindfold as well as a gag. Her ankles were tied once again. She was in a chair beside the midget, who held a gun to her head. In front of them was a table of food, a bottle of wine and three glasses.

"So," Vic said, "you have defeated my strong guy, too."

"What's with the picnic?" the stranger asked.

"Kidnapping and killing is hungry work."

The man in black carefully approached the two.

"If you want her dead," Vic exclaimed, "take one more step and I'll pull the trigger!"

He pushed the gun further and the reporter let out a muffled cry. The stranger stopped.

"Oh," the midget said with a smile. "I see what this is all about."

"Let me explain," the man in black said.

"There's no need to explain! I know who you are. You're here to make sure there's no murder. Here's a question for you, buddy. If you do save the girl's life, what are you going to do with her afterwards? You can't possibly expect her not to tell people about you."

"Mind informing me who hired you?"

"Someone who wants you dead. That's all I'm telling."

"Perhaps we can make a deal?"

"There will be no deal! You want the girl alive and I'm being paid to kill her. If you try and take her, she dies."

"But if I leave, you'll kill her anyway."

"Then it's settled! There's no scenario where both of us will get what we want."

"You seem like a smart man. I doubt you'll be able to refuse my offer."

Vic held his head up proudly. "I went to Harvard! I was valedictorian!"

"Really? Why resort to a life of crime?"

He shrugged. "It's a lot less work and it pays better."

"If you're so smart, I challenge you to a battle of wits."

The midget appeared interested. "What are the stakes?"

"Simple. The winner," he looked at Roxanne, "gets the girl."

Something about his tone made the reporter shiver.

"The loser," the man in black continued, "is dead."

"It sounds dangerous." Vic put down the gun. "I accept!"

"Excellent. Pour the wine."

He did so and the man in black pulled up a chair across from him. He withdrew a small vial from his belt, containing a white powder and handed it to the midget.

"Smell this, but be careful not to touch."

Vic sniffed and gave it back. "I don't smell anything."

"Not everyone can. What I have here is potassium cyanide. It is highly soluble in liquid as well as highly toxic. It could kill you in ten to twenty seconds."

"I know what cyanide is. Get on with it!"

The man in black took the two glasses and turned around. After doing his business, he tucked the empty vial into his pocket and placed the glasses on the table, putting one in front of each of them.

"Alright, smart guy," the stranger said. "Where is the poison? This is my challenge. You decide which cup you drink and I drink the other. Need I add that we have to sip and swallow the entire contents of our cups at exactly the same moment? If you guess correctly, the girl's fate is yours to decide. If you guess wrong…well, I think you know the answer."

Roxanne listened intently, trying to imagine what the man was like and where he would put the poison. Vic was thinking of the same thing. He looked inside the glasses, but saw no signs of the powder. As he'd said, it dissolved instantly. If his challenger hadn't been wearing a mask, he would have seen him smiling.

"You're kidding, right?" Vic smirked. "It's so easy! All I have to do is figure out if you're the kind of guy who would poison his own cup. That's what a clever guy would do, because only an idiot would drink what he was given. I'm not an idiot, so I clearly can't choose the wine in front of you."

"Is that your decision, then?"

"No, because you know I'm not an idiot, so you'd know I wouldn't fall for that kind of trick! So I clearly can't choose the wine in front of me!"

"Keep going."

"You've beaten my strong guy, so you must be even stronger and you're convinced that you're too powerful to die! You could have poisoned your own cup, trusting that your strength will save you! So I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you!"

The man groaned. "Make up your mind!"

"I'm not finished! You've also beaten my gunman, so you know a thing or two about weapons, because he did! So you know that men can be killed so easily, so you'd keep the poison as far away from you as possible! So I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me!"

The tied up reporter screamed through her gag.

"The lady insists that you make your choice," the man in black declared. "Frankly, I'm not sure you've made it."

"I _have_ made it! I know where the poison is!"

"It would only take a genius to figure it out."

"I _am _a genius! The poison is…" He pointed at the opposite wall. "Is that a bat over there?"

"A bat?" The man in black looked behind him. "I don't see anything."

"Oh, I could've sworn I saw one."

Vic tried to stop himself from laughing.

"What's so funny?" the stranger asked.

"I'll tell you later. Right now, I'll drink my glass and you'll drink yours."

They each picked up their cups and drank.

"You were wrong," the man in black taunted.

Vic couldn't contain his laugher any longer. "You only _think_ I was wrong! That's what's so funny! I switched cups while your back was turned! I can't believe you fell for the oldest trick in the book!"

Roxanne sighed, hearing that all hope was lost for her. She expected the stranger to cry out, but he was silent.

"Maybe next time, you will think _twice_ before challenging a man who went to Harvard! Oh, that's right. There won't _be_ a next time!"

His laughter stopped when the cyanide took effect. He choked and then passed out before his heart stopped entirely. The victor chuckled and then looked over at Miss Ritchi. At last, his quest had come to an end.

* * *

**I swapped the iocane with cyanide because it's even deadlier. Though I think the outcome was predictable to those of you who had seen _The Princess Bride_, but I just love that scene so much! I never did understand the outcome of the physical fight, so I altered it. Don't worry, our hero will be unmasked soon (though I doubt it's a secret).**


	6. Have We Met?

**Would you believe it? Some of us get homework over the summer! It's criminal! I haven't gotten around to this chapter until now.**

* * *

He approached the captive and first removed her gag.

"What's going on?" Roxanne begged. "What's happened?"

"Don't be afraid. You're safe now."

Once the blindfold was off, Roxanne's eyes met the mysterious, yet familiar, green eyes of the man in black. She couldn't tell much from him, only that he was slender and his head seemed a normal shape. He could have been any ordinary guy.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm no one you want to mess with," was his only response.

He went to untying the ropes. Roxanne glanced down at the dead body beside her.

"You killed him."

"It was his own pride that killed him. At least he died laughing."

Once her hands were free, the reporter massaged her wrists while the stranger untied her ankles.

"All that time it was your cup that was poisoned."

"They were both poisoned," he explained.

She looked down at him. "How are you alive then?"

"My body is immune to potassium cyanide."

"What?"

"You'll understand later."

After the knot on her ankle came undone, the stranger gently took Roxanne's hands.

"Did they hurt you?"

She shook her head. "Not much."

"Good." He stood her up. "Now let's go. We can't stay here while there's a dead body lying around."

She couldn't argue with that, but the stranger was pulling her out the door before she could say something.

"Where are we going?" Roxanne asked, trying to keep up while watching out for roots. The man was awfully quick.

"Someplace safe," he replied. "That's all I'm telling you."

"What is going on? Why did you come after me? Who _are_ you?"

"I promise you, Miss Ritchi, all of your questions will be answered in due time."

She stopped and yanked her arm out of his grasp. "I'd rather you answer them now! I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me… Wait, how did you know my name?"

The man gulped, but answered quickly. "You're the reporter for KMCP News that's dating Metro Man. Everyone knows your name. Now let's get going, shall we?"

Roxanne folded her arms. "Not until you tell me where we're going!"

"Fine! We're going to my place."

Her eyes widened. "Uh-uh! No way! If you're taking me anywhere, it's _my_ home!"

"I don't think that's an option."

"You take me home or I'm staying right here!"

The man sighed. "Alright, I didn't want to do this the hard way."

The reporter shrieked as he lifted her into his arms. "Hey! Put me down!"

"I have a gun, Miss Ritchi. I don't think you'd want to pound me like that."

She didn't care and continued pounding on his chest as he carried her down the hill.

"Alright, I'll go with you, but I can walk!"

"You've been through a traumatic experience, Miss Ritchi," he said smugly. "You're in no condition to walk."

"Just who do you think you are?"

"Who do _you_ think I am, Miss Ritchi?"

"I _know_ who you are! You're Megamind, aren't you?"

"Congratulations! You win the grand prize!"

"So that smart aleck was right. You can't have me telling anyone about you, so you're kidnapping me!"

"That's a possibility, but do you think I would hurt you, Miss Ritchi?"

She paused to ponder. "Well, you did just take me away from guys who were about to kill me, so it wouldn't make sense if you wanted me dead."

"As I had figured," Megamind smirked. "Smart, as well as beautiful."

Roxanne's jaw dropped at his seductive tone. "Okay, that's it! Put me down!"

"I was only fooling…"

"Put me down, right _now_!"

"As you wish."

He removed his hands from beneath her and let her fall to the ground. Roxanne yelped and groaned as she landed on her rear. Megamind laughed and she glared at him with piercing eyes.

"It's _not_ funny," she said, gritting her teeth.

He didn't stop though. "On the contrary, Miss Ritchi, I find you quite amusing!"

The reporter angrily stood herself up and wiped the dirt off her pants. "Go ahead and laugh!"

"I'm sorry, but you _were_ asking for it."

"You know what? I had you all wrong. You're not a killer or a kidnapper. You're just a big jerk!"

_That_ caused him to stop. "Hey! That's gratitude for someone who just saved your life!"

"Saved my life? Is that what you call it?"

"Let's see, you were going to be killed and I stopped that from happening. Hence, I saved your life! So, Miss Ritchi, I believe a thank you is in order."

"Oh, I'll thank you once you bring me home."

"Yeah, can't do that."

"Why not?"

"It's, um, late."

"Really? That's the best excuse you got?"

"I can't explain it to you now! Not here, anyway. _He_ could be listening."

"Who?"

"You know exactly who!"

Roxanne held up her hands. "You know what? Forget it. I don't need your help. I can go home myself."

She turned away from him and defiantly walked deeper into the wood.

"I don't think you want to do that!" he called to her. "There are a lot of wild animals out there! It's also very dark!"

"I can take care of myself, thank you!" she called back angrily.

"Sure, you had the situation perfectly handled back at the shack!"

She spun around, noticing that he was walking toward her. "Shut up! And quit following me!"

"You can't even find your way."

"I certainly can!"

"Then you'd know that Metrocity is _that_ way."

He pointed behind him. Roxanne blushed, but then straightened up again and walked back to him.

"I knew that," she said as she went past. "And it's _Metro City_!"

"Oh, potato, tomato, potato, tomato," Megamind said.

"That doesn't even make sense!"

"So what? You'll never make it out of these woods yourself! You'd have to walk at least twenty miles!"

"I don't care if it takes all night, so long as I'm away from…"

As she was yelling at him, she wasn't paying attention to where she was stepping. Her foot caught in a root, causing her to fall forward. When Megamind heard her scream, he rushed over to her. Roxanne groaned as she lifted her face from the ground.

"Are you alright?" Megamind asked, kneeling down.

"I'm _fine_!" she spat at him.

She attempted to get up when a sharp pain aroused in her ankle. "Ow!"

The criminal glanced at her foot. "You're hurt."

She gritted her teeth. "I am _not_ hurt!"

"Alright, then I suppose we will go our separate ways and forget any of this ever happened."

He started to walk away. Roxanne let out a sigh of defeat.

"I can't." He stopped. "I'm hurt."

If he hadn't been wearing a mask, she would have seen a victorious smile as he turned back.

"Where?" he asked.

"My ankle," she replied, lifting her right foot to show.

He laid a hand on her arm. "Here, allow me."

Carefully, he stood her up, advising her not to step on her hurt foot. Then he settled her down against the trunk of a tree. He removed her shoe and sock and then, more hesitantly, his gloves.

"Let me know if you feel anything," he said.

He gently felt around her foot, checking for any broken bones. His hands were soft and cool, but Roxanne couldn't help but think that something else was strange about them. She couldn't see much in the dark and she couldn't make out the color of his skin. Megamind realized this once she didn't say anything and sighed with relief.

When he poked her ankle, Roxanne winced in pain. After feeling around some more, he seemed to smile under his mask.

"Good news," he said as he put her sock and shoe back on her foot. "It's not broken. It appears that you have a mild sprain. I suggest staying off of it for a while."

Roxanne knew what that meant. "Oh no, you are _not_ carrying me again!"

"Frankly, Miss Ritchi, I don't think you have a choice."

He patiently waited for her decision as he slipped his gloves on. Roxanne still wasn't sure if she could trust this man, but she couldn't get out of the forest on her own when her ankle was hurt. Finally, she admitted defeat.

"Okay, you win. But if you drop me again or try anything else funny…"

"I won't," he swore, holding up his hand, "as long as you cooperate and don't run off again."

"Right, as if I could get far with a sprained ankle."

Chuckling, he slid his right hand under her knees and his other hand behind her back. Then he lifted her up and started down the hill again.

Roxanne stared at what she could of her kidnapper's face, focusing mostly on the eyes. His voice sounded familiar, too.

"Have we met?" she asked.

Megamind stopped and was silent for a few moments.

"I believe my sister saw you?" Roxanne pressed on.

He turned his gaze towards her. "Yes, we have met."

It was clear he was not going to say anything further on the topic as he continued to walk. Roxanne decided to leave the conversation there for now.

When they reached the road, she saw no other vehicle except the assassins' truck.

"Are we stealing their truck?" she inquired.

He set her good foot down for a bit so he could rummage through his pocket. "Nope, we're taking my car."

"I don't see any car."

He took out a set of keys and as he pressed a button, a vehicle suddenly appeared behind the truck. It was the most peculiar car Roxanne had ever seen. It looked like a Hudson version of the Bat Mobile with spikes.

"What the…?" she started to say as he picked her up again.

"Invisible car," he explained. "I customized it myself."

"So that's how you were able to follow us without being seen."

"It's also how the police haven't caught me yet."

He opened up the car and placed her in the passenger seat. After he shut the door, he went over to the truck and smashed the side window so he could unlock it. He came out a minute later with Roxanne's purse. She had forgotten that she had been without it all this time. Once he was in the car, he threw it in the backseat.

"Why?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Just in case you need it later," he shrugged.

Megamind pressed a big blue button that said 'Stealth Mode' which turned the car invisible again.

"This is actually…impressive," Roxanne admitted.

"Glad you noticed, Miss Ritchi."

"Hey, where are the seatbelts?"

"Oh, there aren't any."

"What?!"

"Better hold on tight."

Roxanne grabbed her seat as the car accelerated in reverse and then spun out of control.

"Can't you slow down a bit?" she screamed.

"Sorry!" Megamind laughed. "I guess I should have gotten my license!"

"What?!"

He continued cackling as he slowed the car down and then drove in a straight path.

"I'm just kidding around."

He yelped as Roxanne punched him in the arm. "Jerk! We could have crashed and I'd have more than a sprained ankle! Besides, you said you wouldn't do any more tricks!"

"Okay, I'm sorry. A bad guy's got to have a _little_ fun."

"You know, having an invisible car won't prevent Metro Man from finding you. He has super vision _and_ super hearing. You can't avoid him forever."

Megamind laughed. "You think your goody-two-shoes boyfriend in tights will save you? That moron has brains the size of a kumquat! He hasn't caught me _yet_! I don't even think he's trying."

"I never said he was my boyfriend!"

Upon hearing that, Megamind's foot slammed on the brakes and Roxanne had to hold on as the car came to an immediate stop.

"Say that again?" he asked, not sure if he had heard correctly.

"Metro Man," Roxanne said slowly. "He's _not_ my boyfriend."

The criminal blinked, trying to process this. "But I thought you two were…"

"We're not!"

"Then why did you go to dinner with him?"

"Now how did you know about that?"

He bit his lip. "It was also on _tellie-vasion_?"

"It was? That was one time and it was the worse date of my life! He will still come and save me though, because that's what heroes do."

"Some hero! If he _really_ cared, he would have heard the minute you were kidnapped and might have stopped it from happening in the first place! Besides, _I'm_ the one who saved you, _not_ him! You know why? Because I…"

He stopped himself once he realized what he was saying. Meanwhile, Roxanne was dumbstruck. Megamind sighed and started the car again.

"Forget it," he murmured.

For a while, neither of them spoke, only stared at the road ahead. Megamind kept stealing glances at the lovely woman beside him. Then he decided to break the tension.

"So why don't you like Metro Man?"

Roxanne looked at him questioningly, but answered him anyway. "He's a show-off. Plus, like you said, he's not very smart. He's totally not my type. I usually prefer brains over brawn."

Megamind was glad his mask was there to hide his grin. The reporter sighed, leaned against the window and decided to tell him the other reason. She wasn't sure why, probably just to get it off her chest.

"I did date this one guy," she said. "But it didn't work out. I guess since then I've been reluctant to date again."

The criminal's fingers tightened around the wheel. "Did you…love him?"

She turned to him coldly. "What does it matter to you? I'll bet a crook like you doesn't even know what love is like!"

The car skidded to a halt once again. Megamind glared angrily at her.

"I've sworn I wouldn't hurt you, Miss Ritchi," he said with a slight growl, "but you do not want to get me on my bad side, and I don't like it when people lie to me."

As he continued to drive, there was another silence. Roxanne stared at her kidnapper for a long while, shocked and confused. She wasn't sure she should call him her kidnapper anymore. He didn't act like he was kidnapping her. Since he had wiped out her assassins, he had been gentle with her. He had untied her, he had helped her when she had sprained her ankle and he had carried her all this way.

Her previous kidnappers had kept her tied up and didn't care if she was uncomfortable or hurt. When she had tripped, Megamind had immediately come to her side. And the way he spoke to her in that soft tone. It was almost like he cared.

What had he meant when he said he didn't like it when people lied? Had he been in love with a woman? Could that be why he became a bank robber? These were only a few of the millions of questions she had. She could only think of one that was the most significant, but she figured he was hesitant to reveal his true identity. That's why she picked a safer one.

"You don't want money, do you?"

Megamind chuckled. "Not even all the money in the world would be a high enough price for you."

Then what was it he wanted from her? She did not ask that aloud, for she was afraid of the answer.

Roxanne was confused when he suddenly turned left when there was no road there. He stopped in front of a group of bushes.

"Why are we…?"

Then Megamind pressed a button on his keys and the bushes and trees moved aside, revealing a small dirt road. As they drove through, the forest closed behind them. Roxanne looked at the criminal amazed.

The car stopped again and Megamind pressed another button. There were bolts of electricity as an opening big enough for the car appeared out of nowhere. It sealed after they had went through. That was when Megamind turned off the engine and made the car visible again.

He stepped out so he could help Roxanne. He was careful not to hit her head as he lifted her out. He had taken her to an old two-story wooden cabin, but it certainly wasn't abandoned, considering she could see half a dozen cameras planted on it. The reporter glanced above and realized they were in a dome, which probably made the cabin invisible from the outside.

"You really thought through security, haven't you?" she said.

"Well, when you're wanted by the law," Megamind said, "you have to take precautions. No one can get in through the force field unless they use my way. It's also soundproof, so no one can hear us."

"Wouldn't people notice if an invisible wall was obstructing their path?"

He paused. "Alright, so no security system is perfect, so sue me."

"No, I think I have a lot more appropriate reasons to sue you for. Kidnapping me, for example."

When he looked at her, she was smiling in spite. This made him laugh.

The boards creaked under him as he stepped up onto the porch. He found some difficulty trying to open the door, but he didn't want to put Roxanne down. She made things easier for him by reaching out and turning the knob herself.

Megamind was surprised at this gesture and at the fact that she wasn't treating him so coldly. Had she realized the real purpose of bringing her here or had she figured out who he was? Or both? Whatever the reason, he was glad she wasn't angry with him anymore.

"Welcome to my humble abode," Megamind said as he carried her inside and switched on a light.

Roxanne looked around. Nothing was unusual about the cabin. To her left was a black leather chair with a coffee table in front. On her right were a bookshelf and a computer. The room led into a small kitchen ahead.

"It's so…so…"

"Sinister? Frightening? Evil?"

"Neat. I kind of expected a criminal's hideout to be messier."

"My partner likes to keep things tidy."

"You're partner? I didn't know you had a partner."

"Well, he's more of an evil minion, really. He helps out with small tasks like keeping the house clean."

"Is he here?"

"He's probably asleep right now, so we're alone."

They were, until they were met by a swarm of small, floating robots, chomping their large metal jaws. Roxanne pulled herself closer to Megamind, afraid they were going to take a bite out of her.

"Whoa!" Megamind cried. "Down, boys! Take it easy! Heel!"

They stopped and all looked at Roxanne questioningly with their single eyestalks.

"Good, boys! Now, this is Miss Ritchi and she's going to be staying here. You are not to attack her, understand?"

The robots tilted their bodies up and down, as if they were nodding.

"Alright, then. Miss Ritchi here has a sprained ankle and we're going to help her."

He set her down on the couch. Then he pointed at each of the robots and gave them their commands.

"You there, get a bag of ice from the freezer. You, get the first aid kit. You, get a glass of water. And you, get some _eye-boo-proven_."

The robot made a sound, as if it was confused.

"Do you mean ibuprofen?" Roxanne asked.

"Yeah, what she said. The rest of you, just stay out of the way, would you?"

They nodded and set to their tasks.

"What are those?"

"Brainbots," Megamind explained. "It gets lonely up here, so I invented a few of them. They can be very helpful. Now, let's see about that ankle."

He gestured for her to put her foot up on the table. Then he knelt down and did the same thing he did in the woods: shoe, sock, gloves.

"Does it still hurt?" he inquired.

Roxanne nodded. "It hurts mostly when I move it."

"Then don't move it."

She giggled, but then cried out as she absentmindedly bent her foot forward. Megamind gently took her foot and massaged her ankle. His touch seemed to make some of the pain go away. It also made Roxanne's heart beat faster. She couldn't understand how his hands would be so cool after being in leather gloves for so long.

The Brainbots returned with the requested items. Megamind nodded in thanks, but did not touch the things, as his hands were already preoccupied.

"I'm sorry if my foot smells," Roxanne apologized with a grin.

"I don't think anyone would blame you after the day you went through," Megamind assured her. "Besides, it doesn't smell that bad."

"Why are you doing this, anyway?"

"What good is a captive if she's damaged?"

"But why am I…?"

She paused as she finally got a glimpse of his hands in the light. His fingers were longer than normal ones, but that wasn't what shocked her. It was the fact that the hands soothing the pain in her ankle were blue.

* * *

**The sprained ankle was inspired by nineteenninetytwo's story "I'm Sorry." I had to give Roxanne a reason to soften up to Megamind. Sorry I had to break it here, but the chapter was getting long. I hope to have the next one finished soon.**

**P.S. If you're wondering why no one's noticed his giant head, you'll find out soon!**


	7. The Reveal

**God, how long has it been? I've started senior year and it's crazy! Anyway, I finally got back to this. Hope it makes up for the long wait.**

* * *

"What's the matter?" Megamind asked once he noticed Roxanne's expression.

"Your hands," she uttered.

He looked down at them and screamed. "Don't look at them!"

"They're blue."

"No, they're not!" he insisted, hiding them behind his back. "You're just imagining things! Um, you're in shock!"

"Yeah, at the fact that your hands are blue!"

He backed away. "They're _not_ blue! You must be color blind!"

"I'm not color blind! They're definitely blue!"

"Okay, maybe they are. I'm very, um, cold."

"You'd have to be freezing if your hands were _that_ blue!"

"I have a serious condition!"

"I'll bet, if your hands are _blue_!"

He turned his back to her. "Really, it's not that big a deal!"

"I can see them."

He quickly put his hands in front of him. Roxanne decided she had had enough of this nonsense. She carefully stood herself up on her good foot, using the couch for support.

"Who are you, _really_?"

Megamind faced her in terror. Then he noticed she was standing.

"Roxanne, please sit down."

"I will sit down once you take that mask off," she said defiantly.

"No!" His hands flew up to his face. "I mean…" Then he stood tall and tried to look menacing. "No one has _ever_ seen the face of Megamind and lived to tell the tale!"

She almost laughed at his dramatic pose. "I thought you said you weren't going to kill me."

He paused. "Yes! Maybe I _won't_ kill you!" He moved closer to her. "But I can't have you describing me to the police! Maybe I'll choose to keep you prisoner here forever! Huh? What do you think about that?"

She couldn't take it anymore. She laughed so hard that she fell back on the couch. Megamind blinked at her in confusion.

"What are you laughing at?"

"You!" she cried.

"Well, I'm glad you find your predicament so amusing! I'm serious, you know?"

"Sorry." She calmed down and sat up. "Look, I think I have a right to know the face of the man who saved me. I won't tell anyone, I promise."

Megamind sighed and turned away from her. "I _know_ you won't tell. It's just that…I have other reasons for wearing this mask."

Roxanne stood again. She knew he was hesitant to show himself, but maybe if she got a few hints out of him, he would be more comfortable.

"You said we'd met before. Do we know each other well?"

He looked down at the floor. "Not exactly, but there's no doubt you'd remember me. I certainly remember _you_."

_Blue hands,_ she thought. _No, it couldn't be. His head is too small._ And yet, he had the same green eyes.

"You knew my sister," she said.

He shrugged. "You could be twins."

"But my hair hasn't been as long as Rachel's since college."

He said nothing. Roxanne now knew that they must have met some time during high school. That pointed to another idea, but that too was impossible. Finally, he turned and met her eyes.

"You really want to know?" She nodded. "Then go ahead, take it off and see for yourself."

Roxanne stared into his eyes. The skin around them didn't seem as blue as his hands. _Something so familiar_, she thought.

Reluctantly, she reached for his neck and found the edge of the mask. Slowly, she began peeling it up towards his head. She could now see his blue neck. A surprise came when the mask wouldn't go above his chin. Confused, she pulled the mask forward and found that his chin had gotten longer. On it was a thin strip of black hair.

Megamind finally gave in and removed the rest of it himself, revealing his bald blue head, which had grown several inches. Roxanne stood frozen in place. It was the boy who had saved her in the street all those years ago, only now he was all grown up.

Megamind would have expected her to scream or at least try to run away, but he knew her better. Even if she was afraid, she wouldn't move. He waited for her to speak, but she only stared at him.

"It's you," she managed to say.

He gave a small smile. "Surprised?"

She shook her head. "Not really. You're the only person I've met with blue skin."

He knew she was smart. "Now you know. The notorious Megamind isn't human. Are you afraid?"

She shook her head again. "No, just confused."

"Yes, that's understandable. I'll answer all your questions if you would let me return to your ankle."

Roxanne sat down. "Right, I nearly forgot."

She put her foot up as Megamind got on his knees. He took the slightly melted ice pack and pressed it against her ankle.

"So what are you doing out here?" Roxanne asked.

The alien cringed. "Let's start with a less complicated question, shall we?"

"Okay. Just to clarify, you're an alien, right?"

"Indeed I am."

"Good, because I wasn't sure that night." She looked over at the mask on the table. "How did you hide your head in that?"

Megamind smiled, thrilled that she was interested. He held it up proudly.

"I invented it myself," he explained. "The fabric temporarily reforms the molecular structure of my face, so I look like any normal person."

"But what about the skin around your eyes? It didn't look so blue."

"That's because I also tinted the slit. You never know when someone might get close enough."

"Wow," the reporter muttered. "It's good to know that big head is filled with brains and not ego."

He laughed, and then remembered the ibuprofen. He handed her a pill and the glass of water.

"It will help with the pain," he said.

After swallowing the pill and washing it down, Roxanne tried to think of her next question. She didn't want to get too personal, for he seemed a bit reserved. It was a no-brainer, considering he was wanted by the law _and_ he was an alien. She wondered why he even told her about the mask, or why he brought her to his secret hideout. That wasn't what she chose to ask though.

"Why did you save me?"

Megamind looked down at the floor.

"Alright, we'll get back to that later. So you're the bank robber as well as the vigilante who's been saving people in the streets as well?"

"Nothing gets by you, does it?" he said, laughing nervously.

He wondered if she had figured it out yet. Perhaps not or else she'd be really mad now.

"Okay," Megamind sighed, removing the ice pack. "I'm going to bandage it now, so keep your foot still."

He opened up the first aid kit and took out a roll of gauze. As he wrapped it around her ankle, the reporter continued to interview him.

"When you poisoned that guy, you said you were immune to potassium cyanide. Did you come up with a formula or does it have to do with you being an alien?"

"My cells contain some sodium thiosulfate," he explained.

"Ah," Roxanne nodded, knowing that was an antidote for cyanide poisoning. "What about the other two, are they…?"

"No," he assured her. "They're not dead. I simply…took care of them."

"Did you…hurt them?"

"For the record, it _was_ self-defense."

Once he had clipped the bandage into place, he went to sit beside Roxanne.

"So what _did_ you do to them?"

"Well," he said, taking out his gun, "I dehydrated them."

"You _what_?"

"I dehydrated them. Let me give you a demonstration."

He aimed at the floating cyborgs. Most of them scattered, while one unlucky Brainbot was shot with a beam of light. A glowing blue cube dropped in its place. Roxanne's eyes widened, remembering how ten years ago, the alien had used the same gun to save her. Megamind then picked up the cube and dropped it in the half full glass of water. Instantly, it turned back into the Brainbot, who hastily flew away.

"Wow," Roxanne muttered.

Megamind grinned at the fact that she was impressed.

"Do you mind if I ask a more personal question now?"

He bit his lip. "Go ahead."

"How did you get here? To Earth, I mean. How did all this happen?"

He then reluctantly told the story of how he and Metro Man had been sent in pods to Earth and how he had ended up in the prison. When he got to the part about the schoolhouse, Roxanne couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy, that people had hated him all his life because of his looks.

"My solution was to be a master criminal," Megamind continued. "However, I tried to push the idea aside, especially when the government took interest in me. They'd been trying to gain custody of me since I was two! They even tried to cut me open!"

"When you were _two_?" Roxanne asked in disbelief.

"Fortunately for me, the warden had managed to save me in time. The government tried harder as the years went by and I knew the warden couldn't hold them off for long, so I took matters into my own hands and escaped the prison."

"That's why you were wearing that orange jumpsuit."

"Yes, I had been running not an hour before I…assisted you."

"I still want to know why. Now that I know what you were running from, why did you bother saving me?"

He gulped. "I heard your cry and…well, I couldn't just leave you in that situation."

"But why did you…?"

"No need to ask anything further, I'll explain all you need to know. You see, I became a criminal so I could survive, but I can't have anyone recognizing me, especially _Metro Man_! I suppose you're wondering why I did some vigilante work as well. Well, since I met you, every cry for help I heard on the street was your cry and…I couldn't resist. You already know I encountered your sister not too long ago. That reminded me all the more of you."

He stopped and turned away, as if he had said too much. Roxanne pressed on.

"Why did you come back to Metro City if you were afraid of getting caught?"

He sighed. "I saw you on the news and wanted to see how you were. I, um, may have followed you once or twice…but I saw those men take you and…well, the rest you know."

She suddenly felt uncomfortable that her privacy had been invaded and this alien had come all the way to Metro City just to see her. She should feel upset, but the man did save her life…again.

"I don't get it," Roxanne said. "Why am I so special? I mean why would you go through all this trouble just for me?"

Megamind chose his words carefully. "The night we met, I found you a rather…_interesting_ case."

"Why? What made me so interesting?"

"Two things did, actually. First of all, you saved my life, a life that is not worth saving."

She then remembered how she had grabbed the gun and shot the third thug who had been fighting the alien.

"I had forgotten about that part."

"Also, after you had seen me, you did not run." He turned to look her in the eye. "Why didn't you?"

Roxanne thought about it. "I don't know. Maybe…maybe it was the fact that you had defeated the men who could have killed me. You didn't seem like my enemy."

He moved closer to her. "But you're the first human female who wasn't afraid of me. Who _isn't_ afraid of me, I should say. Why do you not run or scream at the sight of…?"

He gestured towards himself. Roxanne only smiled.

"I was told not to judge a person by their appearance. I'll admit I _was_ a little shocked once I saw you. I mean I'd never seen an alien before."

He smiled in return. "The point is that you were not afraid. That really means a lot to me and I just wanted to return the favor."

She nodded. "Okay, I guess that makes sense." She glanced outside. "What time is it? I should probably be getting home now."

Megamind twiddled his fingers. "It's rather late and you've been through a lot. Perhaps you wouldn't mind…staying? Just for the night. It's the least I can do."

Roxanne shifted in her seat. "You've already done plenty."

"I promise you'll be safe."

She looked into his eyes and decided he was serious. Still, this man was practically a stranger, and an alien at that. And yet, something deep inside her told her she could trust him, especially after him saving her life several times. So she nodded.

"Alright, if it's not too much trouble."

"No!" Megamind insisted. "No trouble at all! Right now, you should focus on getting some rest."

Roxanne rubbed her head and groaned. "I _am_ a bit tired."

"No worries."

He gently lifted her into his arms and carried her up a set of creaky stairs. There wasn't much on the top floor, only a few closets and a large bed near the window.

"I hope you find it comfortable," Megamind said, setting Roxanne on the bed.

"Where will you sleep?" she asked.

"Oh, the couch isn't as bad as it looks."

They stared at each other for a moment.

"Um," Roxanne stammered. "Thanks, again for…well, everything. Good night."

"Yeah," Megamind said quickly. "Good night."

It took all his cognitive power not to look back at her as he left the room. As he did, all he could think was: _If only she knew the truth._

* * *

**In case I don't update before Christmas, Happy Holidays!**


	8. Meeting Minion

**Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm just going to try and get this finished.**

* * *

Propped up against the wall of the kitchen on the first floor was a metallic suit with a water-filled tank on top. Inside the tank, a plastic castle emerged and squeezed in the doorway was a green fish with sharp teeth. He opened his brown eyes and yawned as he squiggled out of the castle. Once he was out, it descended back into the suit.

The fish glanced at the clock. _Good, I have plenty of time. I better go see if sir fell asleep in the lab again._

As he entered the living room, he found that his master was not in his lab, but on the couch. Confused, he gave him a slight nudge.

"Um, sir?"

Megamind woke with a start. "Minion! How many times have I told you not to wake me so early?"

"Sorry, sir," the fish apologized. "What are you doing on the couch?"

"Huh?"

The blue alien glanced around him and rubbed his giant head, trying to remember how he had gotten here. Then he recalled last night's events and bit his lip.

"Yeah," he chuckled nervously. "About that…"

Minion smacked his bowl. "Sir, you didn't blow up the bed again, did you?"

"What? No! You see…something happened last night."

His friend narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Megamind threw the blanket off and sat up. "Well, I was just taking a drive, minding my own business…"

"Weren't you going to rob that jewelry store?"

"Anyway, I saw three men hauling a woman into a truck. I figured they were going to do something horrible to her, so…"

Minion sighed. "Where are they?"

Megamind handed him the cubes.

"There's only two," the fish observed. "I thought you said there were three."

His boss rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, their leader is sort of…in a better place. So to speak."

The fish shook himself, as one would do with their head. "Never mind, I don't want to know. As long as no one saw you." His master hesitated. "No one saw you, right?"

"Well…"

"Sir, what happened?!"

"You see…I couldn't just leave the girl out in the woods alone."

"Okay, so what? You dehydrated her and took her home?" He waited for an answer. "You at least knocked her out, right?" More silence. "Sir?"

"Um, there's something you need to see, Minion."

"What did you…?"

Megamind put his finger to his lips and gestured upstairs. Minion rolled his eyes and followed him. He shushed the fish when his metal foot creaked on the step.

"Why do I have to…?" he asked loudly.

"Shush!" Megamind whispered.

Minion shrugged and tiptoed the rest of the way. When they reached the top, his boss pointed over to the bed. The fish widened his eyes once he saw the figure lying there. He opened his mouth, but Megamind put a hand over it and hustled him downstairs.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Minion said at the bottom. "How did you shush me like that?"

He removed his friend's hand from his bowl.

"I know this looks bad," Megamind started to say.

The fish's anger returned. "What is she…?"

"Quiet! You'll wake her!"

He lowered his voice. "How could you bring someone _here_?"

"She twisted her ankle. I _had_ to bring her here! Then she was tired after all that had happened to her, so I let her sleep."

"Has she _seen_ you?"

He glanced down at his feet. "Yes."

Minion shouted. "Sir! How could you do this?! We can't blow our cover again!"

"You'll wake her up!"

"Let her wake up! She'll have to anyway! You gotta get rid of her or at least erase her memory!"

"She said she wouldn't tell anyone."

"And you believe her?!"

"Of course! She hasn't told anyone yet. And she's not even afraid of me."

"How do you know? Why do you even care?"

"That's Roxanne Ritchi up there."

The fish softened a little, but was still angry. "Oh no. Not _her_ again! Why does this woman keep showing up?"

When he saw the sad look in his friend's eyes, his frustration melted away.

"Does she know you're Megamind?" He nodded. "Does she remember you?" He nodded again. "Does she know you're…?"

Minion didn't have to finish. "No, Minion. She doesn't know that yet."

The fish sighed. "Sir, it's good that you saved her, and it's good that she's not scared, but…she can't stay here."

"Minion, someone sent those men to _kill_ her and frame _me_ for it! They wanted to anger Metro Man so that he could kill _me_! Don't you see? She almost died because someone out there wants me dead, someone who knows who I am. If they find out that I took out their assassins, they could come after her again, and if anything happened to her, I would never forgive myself!"

"So what do you intend to do? Keep her here?"

"Yes! No. Well, just so she will be safe until we find whoever tried to have her killed."

"Sir, are you sure this is about that and not about the fact that you…?"

"No! Well…maybe a little."

"Sir…"

"I have to keep her safe, Minion! Whether I have feelings for her or not, it is my fault she was abducted."

"Well, okay, but you should probably ask her first."

"Yes, you're quite right."

Minion sighed. "Well, I should get breakfast started. What would you like?"

Megamind brightened up. "Eggs sunny-side-up and sausage links."

"Hmm, usually it's pancakes."

"Yes, well, I want something different this morning. Make some for Roxanne too."

* * *

As Roxanne slowly woke from her slumber, she rubbed her eyelids.

"Man, what a dream," she grumbled to herself.

Then she opened her eyes and gasped. This wasn't her room. The bed was the only piece of furniture within the decaying gray walls surrounding her. Covering her was a black fleece blanket and an electric blue sheet. She tried to step out but a sharp pain arouse in her ankle. She threw back the blankets and saw that it was bandaged.

_So it wasn't a dream_, she thought. She really was almost killed last night. She really was rescued by a wanted criminal, who turned out to be the alien who had saved her ten years before. Now she was in his home.

She sniffed at the air. It was the smell of eggs. She carefully set her good foot on the floor and supported herself against the wall. Her progress was slow, especially when she had to hop down the stairs, but she did not want to startle anyone.

She followed her nose to the kitchen. Her stomach growled at the smell. She then realized that she had not eaten since she had left Rachel's last night, and those eggs smelled really good.

She peered around the corner and gasped. Cooking at the stove was a large robot with a fish tank for a head. The fish inside was whistling as he flipped some eggs. This must have been the partner Megamind had been talking about. Roxanne would have been more shocked at seeing him, but after last night, nothing surprised her anymore.

She figured she should say something, so not to be rude. "Um, excuse me?"

The fish turned around in his bowl. "Oh, you must be…"

He then squinted at her and dropped his spatula.

"I'm sorry I startled you," Roxanne stammered. "I'm not sure if Megamind told you…"

Minion turned the rest of his body around and picked up the spatula. "Oh no, he told me. I was just…you just remind me of someone, that's all. Your name is Roxanne _Ritchi_, right?"

"Yes."

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"I have one sister."

Minion tensed. "Oh, is that right?"

"You probably saw me on TV."

"Yes, that's it! I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm Minion."

"Your name's Minion?" Roxanne asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I'm sir's minion, so that's what I'm called." He then noticed her ankle. "Goodness! You shouldn't be standing! Here, have a seat." He escorted her to the small kitchen table. "Breakfast will be done in a few minutes."

"What's on the menu?"

"Eggs sunny-side-up and sausage links."

"Really? Those are my favorite breakfast foods!"

Minion glanced at her suspiciously. "Really?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Um, _I _didn't."

Roxanne looked at the table and noticed there were only two chairs, including the one she was sitting in. "Oh, I guess you don't have a lot of visitors, huh?"

"Don't worry. I don't really need to sit down. I run on battery."

At this moment, Megamind entered the kitchen. "That smells delicious, Minion!" Then he saw Roxanne. "Oh, Miss Ritchi! You're awake! Did you come downstairs by yourself?"

"Yeah," she replied.

He sat down beside her. "Oh, I'm so sorry! If I had known you were awake, I would have helped…"

"I'm fine. I'm not completely helpless."

"Oh, yes, of course. By the way, how is your ankle feeling?"

"It's getting better. Thanks again for letting me stay the night."

"Yeah, about that, I was wondering…"

"Soup's on!" Minion cried. "Or should I say eggs?" The fish handed them each a plate. "What would you like to drink, Miss Ritchi? We have milk, orange juice…"

Roxanne was about to tell him that she did not like orange juice and hated the taste of milk in the morning when Megamind said, "I think we'll both be fine with water."

Minion raised an eyebrow, but fetched them water anyway. Roxanne took a bite out of her eggs.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "These are the best eggs I've ever tasted!"

"Thought you'd like them," Megamind said. "I mean Minion is the best cook there is!"

The fish glanced at the clock. "Goodness! I'm going to be late!"

"Late for what?" Roxanne asked.

"Oh, Minion has his own side business," Megamind exclaimed. "We've been trying to earn money the honest way, so we don't have to risk getting caught."

She then remembered that she had a job of her own. "Oh my gosh! My boss is probably wondering where I am right now!" She tried to get up. "I appreciate all you've done for me, but I really have to get home."

Megamind stood up. "You can't leave now!"

"Why not? I promised I wouldn't tell anyone about you."

"That's not it, it's just…" he sighed and set her back down. "Those men were hired by someone who wants me dead. Whoever that may be will eventually find out that the assassination attempt failed and that you're still alive and…"

Roxanne then understood. "You think they'll come after me again?"

"Yes, so I was wondering…if you don't mind that is, that you would…stay here. Just until I find whoever hired those men."

"Well, I don't know. I have a job and…"

"You'll be safe here."

"I'm sure if anyone else comes after me, Metro Man will…"

"Pretty Boy? Bah! If he's such a good hero, where was he last night?"

She stammered. "Well…come on, he can't be there _all_ the time."

"Exactly! No one can find you here and Minion, the Brainbots and I will be here to protect you."

Roxanne thought it over. The pleading look on Megamind's face made the offer hard to resist. She did not want to be kidnapped again. Besides, she wanted to know more about her new protector.

"I suppose I could stay for a little while."

"Excellent!" Megamind exclaimed.

"Though I will need to call my boss. My phone's in my purse."

"That's right. It's still in the car. I'll get it!"

He was out the door like a bullet. Minion grabbed a can of fish flakes off the shelf.

"I really got to get going," he said. "It was nice to finally meet you, Miss Ritchi."

"What is your business, anyway?" Roxanne inquired.

"Oh, it's just a little dress shop. Making clothes is a hobby of mine."

"You sew too? I think I might be losing my mind here!"

Minion chuckled and then hastened after his master. Megamind was getting Roxanne's purse out of the car.

"Sir, I need to tell you something."

"Yes, Minion?"

"You see, I needed help at the shop, so I hired someone."

"What? Ow!"

His boss bumped his head on the car ceiling.

"I told you, I hired someone to help."

Megamind rubbed his head and looked at his friend. "Minion! We can't risk anyone discovering our secret!"

"Oh, you're the one to talk!"

"Fair enough, but Roxanne's different. Who knows what other people might do?"

"She's just someone to watch the store, sir. I've had her for a week and she doesn't suspect a thing."

"Fine, fine. Just don't get emotionally involved." Minion glared at him. "What?"

He simply shook his head. "Sir, about Miss Ritchi…I wouldn't get your hopes up."

"What do you mean?"

"She may be okay with you now, but when she finds out you've been stalking her…"

"I haven't been stalking her!"

"You followed her to her school!"

"I've been protecting her!"

"That may be how you see it, but if she finds out…I just don't want you to get hurt, sir."

Megamind sighed and picked up the purse. "Thank you, Minion, but promise me you'll let me handle this myself and you won't say anything to her."

"Of course, sir."

* * *

Minion parked the invisible car in an alley. He was still worried about the fact that Roxanne Ritchi was in their lair. They had been trying so hard to keep their secret all these years and now the woman his boss had been chasing after all that time knew. He could not believe Megamind for being so careless! If she knew absolutely everything, they could be in danger.

But Minion could not entirely blame his master. He had a few secrets of his own.

He twisted his watch and transformed into a young man. He stepped out of the car and turned the corner to a store called 'Fishy Fashions.' The outside was decorated with starfish and seaweed and the dresses in the display window were under the sea colors: green and blue. Not all the clothes had an ocean theme. That was just to bring customers in.

As he opened the door, a bell rang. The inside had ocean decorations too, though the store was rather small. He had started this only a few months ago and business had been slow. It also didn't help that his boss kept him busy running errands and assisting in robberies. That is why he had put the 'Help Wanted' sign up, so someone would watch the store whenever he was out. Business had already sped up in the first week, though now Minion was beginning to regret the arrangement.

"Is that you, Marlin?" a woman's voice called from the storeroom.

"Yeah, it's me," Minion replied weakly.

"You're late! That should be the employee's job!"

"Sorry, I, um, had an emergency at home."

"Your roommate again?"

"He invited his girlfriend for breakfast. Have any customers come in?"

"Not yet, but I've finished that order for Mrs. Johnson."

"Really? But that wasn't supposed to be done until Thursday!"

"Well, we've been piling up on orders lately, so I thought I'd get a head start. I've been working all weekend on this dress."

"May I see it?"

The door opened and Minion stepped inside. Before him was a dummy wearing an elegant purple ball gown. Mrs. Johnson was going to an auction gala on Friday and wanted a customized dress for the occasion.

"You did this all by yourself in only a few days?" Minion asked.

"I had nothing better to do."

A woman with long brown hair tied in a ponytail emerged from behind a pile of fabric. She was carrying a large role of pink taffeta.

"Here, Rachel, let me help you with that."

The disguised fish lifted the burden from the woman and laid it on the sewing table.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"It's for that debutante that came in last week," Rachel explained. "She wants her dress to look like Sleeping Beauty's."

"But the ball's three weeks away."

"Good time to get started then, huh?"

Minion smiled and shook his head. "How did I get along without you?"

"That's a mystery worthy of Nancy Drew."

He could see the resemblance now: the brown hair, the blue eyes, the enthusiasm. He had thought the name had been a coincidence, until he had seen Roxanne this morning. Rachel noticed him staring at her.

"Are you alright?"

Minion blinked. "Yes, I'm fine. Rachel, are you by any chance related to the reporter _Roxanne_ Ritchi?"

She laughed. "It took you that long to figure it out? She's my older sister."

"I thought as much."

The irony hit him like a ton of bricks. He had been criticizing Megamind for being attached to Roxanne Ritchi for so long. Now Minion was becoming attached to the sister.

* * *

**Yep. Those of you who have read my other stories are probably thinking "here we go again." Sorry, but Minion and Rachel are my favorite original couple to write about. I just HAD to fit them in somehow!**


	9. Getting to Know You

**Ooh, I'm on a roll with updates! Sorry, but I was pulled into the My Little Pony fandom and nearly forgot about this. Well, I'll try to finish this before summer's over. This chapter is mostly fluff.**

* * *

Roxanne had told her boss that her sister had pneumonia and that she had to take care of her. Fortunately, Mr. Stubbs understood, despite it being a lie. She then called Casey and told her the same story. Her best friend would worry if she suddenly vanished. Casey did not question it either.

"Can I talk to Rach?" she asked.

"Um," Roxanne stammered. "She's asleep right now."

"Oh, okay. Tell her I hope she gets better. Hey, while you're there, maybe you can find out more about Megamind. Speaking of which, have you found anything else?"

She glanced at the alien eating eggs beside her. "No, not really."

"If you do, you'll tell me about it, right?"

"Uh, sure. I'll do that. Um, I got to go now. I'm, uh, making Rach some tea."

"Okay. See ya, R.R.!"

"Bye." She hung up. "Well, I guess I'll be hanging out here for a while."

"Don't make it sound like it's a bad thing," Megamind said, wiping his mouth. "Just because you're hiding out from a killer doesn't mean you can't enjoy yourself."

"But what can I do here, especially with a sprained ankle?"

He pondered. "Well, you could always watch _tellie-vasion_, we have plenty of books…" He snapped his fingers. "Do you play chess?"

He already knew the answer, but he had to pretend he did not know her as well as he did.

"Sure," she replied. "I'm a little out of practice, though."

"Then I must warn you that I have never been beaten!"

"I believe you, after that battle of wits last night."

"So you up for the challenge?"

"You're on."

"One second!"

He cleared the table of the dishes and then left the kitchen. He returned with a chess board and pieces. Roxanne picked white, since she figured he would be the stronger player. Besides, he seemed to have a thing for black.

On the first game, Megamind was surprised when she had him in check after ten moves. He won, however.

"You are good," she complimented. "Best two out of three?"

As their second game progressed, Roxanne found some familiarity in Megamind's moves. She was sure she had seen them before.

"I did warn you," he said. "No one has ever…"

"Checkmate."

He glanced down at the board. His king was trapped between her queen, her knight and her rook. His jaw dropped.

"You beat me."

"Sorry," Roxanne said.

"You've never beaten me at this game!"

"Huh?"

"I mean _no one's_ beaten me at this game!"

"I'm really sorry to break your streak, but…"

"I was distracted! One more game!"

She beat him at that one as well. Megamind simply could not believe it.

"Let me guess," she taunted, "the only person you've ever played against was the fish, huh?"

"And the Brainbots," the alien said, looking at Roxanne in admiration. "But you? How?"

Her face fell. "My dad taught me. My boyfriend was also a chess whiz. I could _never_ beat him! Your moves were kind of like his, in fact."

Megamind grew nervous. "Were they?"

"Yeah, but then again, you're both pretty smart. It could just be a coincidence."

He sighed in relief. "Best three out of five?"

But it was no use, she defeated him once again.

"I think you've met your match, champ," Roxanne smirked.

"Will you marry me?" he asked on impulse.

He then panicked and expected her to slap him, but she only laughed.

"Don't you think it's a little early for that?"

"I was kidding," he said quickly. "Though seriously, I admire you for this."

"For beating you at chess?"

"Yes! It only proves that I was right about your intelligence. It's not often I meet someone even close to my intellectual level."

She stared at him. "Are you that alone?"

His smile faded and he glanced down at his feet. "Well, I haven't really had anyone to talk to, other than Minion and the Brainbots, but they don't listen sometimes. The Brainbots don't listen at all."

Roxanne leaned forward. "I'm listening."

He locked eyes with her. "I don't really have much to…"

She took his hand. "Go on."

Megamind gave a small smile and sighed. "You know what I want more than anything? The chance to be normal. No more hiding, no more running, no more scraping for food, just doing normal things that normal people do. My childhood was spent in jail, and I've been hiding here for the past ten years. Minion and the Brainbots are all I've got. However, there are some things I can't talk about with them. It's not what guys do, you see? I just want to be able to talk with someone normal about…normal things."

"Kind of like now?" Roxanne asked.

He paused. "Yes, exactly like now."

"There's something I'd like to ask you. Last night, you implied that you had loved someone. Am I right?"

He felt like running. "I wish I hadn't told you that."

"Please, you can tell me."

He stammered. "It…it was a really long time ago. It's…it's nothing really. She never knew. I mean she never knew it was me."

He hoped she wouldn't catch that he was talking about her. If she ever found out, she would not like him anymore.

"I'm really sorry," she said.

Relief washed over him. "It's alright. It's all in the past now. But…you keep talking about this boyfriend of yours. What's that all about?"

Roxanne looked away. He felt awful bringing it up, but he had to know.

"His name was Bernard," she uttered. "He went to my school. He was smart, funny, chivalrous…a bit like you, actually."

"Really?" he gulped.

"It started out weird. He kept opening doors for me and carrying my books, before he finally asked me out. We were together for a few months. Then he moved away." She was on the verge of tears. "It sounds stupid, but since then, I haven't really dated anyone. Well, maybe a few people, but there was never a second date. I just…I just couldn't let go. I'm…I'm sorry."

She buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Megamind scooted closer to her.

"Please, Roxanne, don't cry."

"I can't," she sniffed. "I can't…"

He cautiously laid a hand on her shoulder. "I…I'm sorry for bringing it up."

She looked up and rubbed her eyes. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have possibly known."

"You'd be surprised."

"What?"

"I mean…I could guess. You never forget your first love."

She stared into his eyes for a long moment and then flung her arms around him. He was frozen in shock at the hug. Roxanne then pulled away.

"Sorry, I…"

"No, no! It's fine. Let it out."

He opened his arms and let her fall into them again. He held her close and caught a whiff of her hair. Oh, how he had missed that vanilla scent. He wished he could hold her forever, but alas, it was not to last. She pulled away again and wiped her tears.

"Thanks for listening."

"Thank _you_," Megamind said. "I haven't had a hug in years."

"Really? Well, I suppose so."

They were silent for a long while.

"Best four out of seven?" Roxanne asked.

Megamind shrugged. "Why not?"

* * *

That evening, Minion found Rachel busy at the sewing machine.

"It's closing time," he said.

"You go on home," the young woman replied, not taking her eyes off the needle. "I'll lock up."

"What are you working on now?"

"Still that debutante's dress."

"Can't you continue in the morning?"

"No, I'm almost done with the bodice."

Minion knelt down and unplugged the machine.

"Hey!"

"You don't have to work this hard."

"Yes, I do! I've wanted to be a designer my entire life! I only started working towards it now and I want to do it right! Besides, I've got nothing better to do with my time."

"Don't you have friends to hang out with? Family?"

"My sister's up in Metro City and my parents are in Cincinnati. I don't really have any friends. My enthusiasm tends to scare people off."

"I find your enthusiasm rather enchanting."

She looked up at him. "Really?"

Minion's cheeks grew hot. He figured that's what blushing was.

"Sure. I really appreciate the work you've done so far, but I think you need a break. How about I treat you to dinner?"

Her jaw dropped. "Really? I mean I don't want to trouble you."

"No, it's no trouble at all."

"Well, okay! Just let me get organized. Oh, and no seafood!"

Minion chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm not too fond of it either."

Once he had left the room, Rachel silently squealed and got out her phone. She texted to Roxanne: _Got date with gr8 guy. Will give details l8ter!_

* * *

Megamind finally gave up after fifteen games of chess. Roxanne had beaten him nine to six. Afterwards, they had lunch and then watched some TV together. In the process, she fell asleep on his shoulder. She was still fatigued from the events of yesterday.

The alien glanced down at the beautiful woman beside him. He wanted to tell her the truth so badly, but he worried that she would not like him anymore. He quickly decided that before he would tell her, he would make her fall in love with him again, just as he was now falling for her.

* * *

**Kind of cheesy, but hey, it's an update.**


End file.
